The present invention relates to cleats for recreational boats and the like, and in particular to a retractable cleat which incorporates a retainer that allows for infinitesimal adjustment of the retractable cleat from a base member while simultaneously allowing liquids collected within the base member to drain therethrough.
Retractable cleats are widely used within recreational boats for securing mooring lines and the like thereto. These retractable cleats typically include a base member, and a retractable cleat member that is telescopingly received within the interior of the base.
Heretofore, retractable cleats have generally been constructed such that water seeping into the base member is trapped therein, thereby resulting in corrosion and degradation to the base member as well as the retractable cleat received therein. The corrosion of the base members and retractable cleat often result in an unattractive overall appearance, and can hinder proper operation of the retractable cleat itself. In addition, retractable cleats have generally been constructed for adjustment between finite positions that typically include only the fully retracted and fully extended positions. This limited adjustability requires the cleat to be fully extended regardless of the amount of the cleat required to attach a mooring line thereto, thereby exposing the entire cleat member above the deck surface.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a lift-up cleat assembly that includes a base member having an upper plate shaped to abut a mounting surface and at least one normally vertically oriented tube depending from the plate, wherein the tube has a hollow interior, and a retractable cleat member having an upper cleat-shaped head shaped to retain lines thereon, and at least one normally vertically oriented mounting post depending from the head, wherein the post is telescopingly received within the interior tube of the base member and is telescopingly movable along a given length of travel. The cleat assembly also includes a cup-shaped retainer located within the hollow interior of the tube of the base member and having a central portion fixed with respect to the mounting post of the cleat member and an elastically deformable skirt member that flexibly abuts the tube of the base member, thereby providing infinitesimally small increments of adjustability of the post of the cleat member within the tube of the base member along the length of travel. The retainer is shaped to allow liquid located within the interior of the tube of the base member to drain therefrom.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a lift-up cleat assembly that includes a one-piece base member having an upper plate defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the base member is shaped such that the bottom surface of the base member is adapted to flushly abut a mounting surface. The base member also includes at least one normally vertically oriented tube depending from the plate, wherein the tube has a hollow interior. The base member further includes a recess extending into the top surface. The lift-up cleat assembly also includes a retractable cleat member having an upper cleat-shaped head shaped to retain lines therein, and at least one normally vertically oriented mounting post depending from the head, wherein the post is telescopingly received in the interior of the tube of the base member, and wherein the head includes an upper surface that is substantially flush with the upper surface of the base member when the cleat member is in a retracted position. The cleat assembly further includes a fastener coupled with the tube of the base member and adapted to abut a bottom surface of the mounting surface, thereby retaining the base member to the mounting surface.
The cup-shaped retainer located within the interior of the tube of the base member allows for infinitesimally small increments of adjustability of the retractable cleat member within the base member, thereby allowing for precise adjustment of the cleat member depending on the required use, such as the size of the mooring lines utilized, etc. The shape of the retainer allows for complete drainage of the interior of the tube of the base member, thereby reducing the possible corrosion, discoloration and blemishing of the base member, retractable cleat and other components of the retractable cleat apparatus that may hinder operation thereof. Further, the one-piece base member and fastener coupled with the tube of the base member reduces the corrosion associated with multiple piece base members, as well as reduces the deterioration of the mounting surface such as a boat deck normally associated with mounting a cleat assembly to a deck surface via hardware such as screws that extend into the boat deck surface.